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Wondering what’s in the average gardener’s toolbox? Here are a few things that are indispensable for a lot of people who are setting up and managing hydroponics projects.pH Value TestingpH value testing is critical for hydroponics. Plants need to stay around 5 to 7 on the pH scale, or all sorts of problems start to result. Too much acidity or alkalinity can actually kill plants. And the other thing is, reservoirs experience pH changes for a number of reasons and in fact, pH value is likely …

When it's time to crop out and harvest your green stuff, some helpful tips can help you get the most out of your plants. Here are some “cropping out” strategies we've seen that are useful with growers.Pick According to Special TechniquesLots of growers use specific growth strategies such as topping, lollipopping, or sea of green to get more buds, flowers or produce from a plant. Keep these in mind as you harvest the material that will be the fruits of your labor.Allow Time for FloweringSome …

Want to collect rainwater for a hydroponics garden? Lots of gardeners are doing this to use natural resources for irrigation -- here are some tips and techniques to get natural rainwater into your reservoir or other hydroponics water system.Rooftop CatchmentsOne simple way to aggregate rainwater is to catch it on the surface of a roof top and funnel it into some type of collection system. However, a very important safety tip is check the materials used for the roof and any downspouts to av …

Have you ever heard of defoliation?This is part of an increasing number of terms that modern growers use to get more out of every plant and streamline hydroponics projects.Is it important to know about? Well, it might be, depending on what you're growing, and how you want to produce yields. Lots of growers chase higher yields to get more money out of a small commercial project, or to optimize the time that they put into a hydroponic garden.The Context of DefoliationThese days, there's a whol …

Even if you've been around the block a couple times with hydroponics, and you know terms like ‘sweet spot,’ ‘sea of green,’ ‘deep water culture’ and ‘chelation,’ you still may not have heard of the inverse square law of light.Why do you need to know about this? Well, it helps with setting up your hydroponics lighting. It's not one of the most fundamental or basic needs of plant maintenance, but it does affect the way that your plants get light, so it’s actually pretty important.Big Fancy S …